The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-18

What ghosts made zeal rlscI
The dead rrturn-thcy brra,hc-tley live again,
llo!ncj, by the host Of fancy's airy tnlin,
Fresh from the springs Of shakcspearc's quickenine
The si,ram that Stakes the souls dlvIncr thirt
Iler found the sunbcans irst;
Rich with his fame, not iers snail memory prize
The gracious gift that humber wants supplies.
Der the wide waters reached the hand that gave
To all this bountcoUs wave,
With health and Strength aud Joyous beauty
fmught:
From the far home OF brothcr's love unboughu
Long may fair Avon's ~fourtS.n flow, carollcd
With stored shtinrs Of Old,
Cnstnlias spring, fgc.,a's d'wy cave,
Aud Hoebs rock the God oILncl clavc!
Land Of our fathers. ocean makes us two.
but heart q heart n trnci
Proud Is your towering daughter In the west,
Yet In her burning liie-blood Cign contest
Her mothers pulses beating IN her breast.
This holy Count. whose TillS tpm heaven descend,
II gracious drops shall lend
Both fowhcgls hathcd In that baptiknnl dew.
And love make one the old home aud the newt
August -, 1897.
Mr.. mviNG's Address.
Mr.. Irving read the poem with splendid
effect, amid recurring plaudits, and then
continued ~ follows: ''The occasion which
has drawn us here today has exceptional
interest and special significance. We have
met 10 celebrate a tribute which has been
paid TO the memory of Shakespeare 10y an
American citizen, and which is associated
with the jubilee year Of the Queen. The
donor OF this beautiful monument | am
happy TO claim as personal friend. MIR.
Childs IL not only nm admirable repre-
sentative Of the public spirit and enter
prising energy OF Philadelphia, but is also
n man who has cndcarcd himself 10 u very
wide circle by many generous deeds.
| do not wonder at his muniiiccncc,
for 10 men like hin IL il n second nature.
! rejoice in the happy inspiration which
prompted the gift which 40 worthily rep
rcscnts the common homage of two great
peoples 10 the most famous man Of their
cummun race. We are honorcd by the
presence OF u distinguished American, the
political representative OF his country in
England. But IL would do far less than
justice 10 Mr.. Phelps to affirm that lac is
with us in u formal aud diplomatic sense.
On this spot Of all others Americans cease
90 bc aliens ''hcar, hear Tor here they
claim our kinship with the great master OF
English speech. How responsive il Amer
lean life and literature 10 the influence
which has done more than the work Of
NNAN hNNNAN NAAA'A " NNANAAA AANf NNNNNLNNN NlAA
character of generations. The simplest
| records ~ Stafford show that this is the
mecca Of American pilgrims. aud that the
place which gave birth 10 Shakespeare Is
regarded ~ the fountain Of the mighticst
aud most enduring inspiration OF our
mother tongue. IL IL not difficult 10 be-
licye that amongst the visitors who write
thusc imposing letters, u. :. A. in the
visitors. book inthc historic house hard by,
thcU are some whose Colloquial speech
still preserves phrases which have come
down from Shakespeare time. Some
idioms which m supposed 10 he
of American invention can be- traced
back 10 Shakespeare, and VI can imagine
that in the audience nj the old Globe
thcatcr there were ignorant and unlUttCrcd
men who treasured up something Of
Shakespeare imagery and vivid portrait
urr. aud carried with them over the ocean
the thoughts. words, solemn vision and
bright silver dream which helped Ia nur-
turc their trinspltntcd stock. tChccrs.
For Il Is above ull things ms q poet Of the
people that Shakespeare IL supreme. He
Wrote in DAYS when literature made
no appeal Ia the multitude. Books
wcrr t. n limited class, but the
thcaicr was open 10 all. How many
EugliShmcn. % whom reading WIS r
labor, or ~ imuuSsibility, must have
drawn from the stage which Shakespeare
enriched some Ut the most priceless Jewels
oi the human miud2 One OF the inscrip-
tons ON this fountain X the most OK
prr,siyc tribute to Shakespeare which the
peoples heart can pay. Ten thousand
honur and blessings ON the bard who has
! gildcd the dull realities OF lia with iEno-
crnt Illusions These simple words
speak gratitude iar mon eloquent
and enduring than whole libraries
of criticism. Il is not only because
Shakespeare " the delight Of scholars
or because lac has infinite charms for the
most refined taste that lac Wiclds the I'M
broken strait Of pru~pvro over the imagina.
ton IT mankind. u h because his spell Is
woven from truth, simplicity, aud nature
herself. tCriCs OF Hear! Hear! ''1 There
lies the heart Of the mystery. Without
effort the simplest mind passes into
the realms OF shakespeare fancy.
The learned and the simple, the
gentle and humble, all may drink
from the incNhaustihlc wisdom
Of this supreme sage. And 10 il seems TO
me that M happier emblem Of Shakes
pcarc's genius In his native place could
have been chosen aian this memorial
fountain. lChcers.l ! suppose We shall
never be content with what little we
know OF Shakcspcarc's personal history,
vet We can see him in his home life herr
n man Of genial manner and persuasive
speech, unassuming and scrcnc, and per-
haps unconscious that he had created
In the world Of letters rs great u marvel M
his contemporary Galitc or discovery inthc
world OF science. And We may conjurc
other fancics. Wccan picture Shakespeare
returning from his bourne TO find upon the
throne q Queen who rules with gcntlcr
sway than the great sovereign that he
knew and yet, whose reign has glorics more
hcnciiCcnt than those OF Elizabeth. lCrics
of "hcar, hear" u We can Try 10
imagine his emotion when he finds this
dear England he loved 80 well expanded
beyond seas, and We can NJ least Ice happy
In tho thonohi that when ha had mas